Question
I have two ficus trees that were weathered outside on the deck.  Both have survived quite nicely but the need pruning.  One has lost all its leaves the other is leafed out real well.  Can you tell me how to prune them and when I can start to fertilize them and what type of fertilizer is best for them.  Thank you, Pat  

Answer
Hi Pat,
Any well balanced fertilizer can be used. They should be fertilized when they start producing new growth, that is a sign they are coming out of their dormancy period. If you have used potting soil that has fertilizer in it make sure that it has been at least 3 months of growing time since they were potted with the soil. If the plant shows signs of fertilizer deficiency, such as new growth that is too small or leaf color change, then go ahead and fertilize. I usually recommend using 1/3 of the strength recommended on the package. When I prune my Ficus trees I usually cut off about 3/4 of the smaller branches that have no growth. Medium size branches can be pruned back if there is no growth on them.
The Ficus that lost all of it leaves should be able to be pruned back quite heavily. I heavily pruned back one of my ficus trees that had lost almost all of it's leaves and it came back beautifully and is growing vigorously.
I hope this helps, if you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks
Tracy